Author: Charlie Garrett

Friday, 11 October 2019

…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 1 Peter 1:23

In the previous verse, Peter spoke of the state of the believer in Christ – he is purified in soul. He now describes how that came about by saying, “having been born again.” More correctly, it says, “having been begotten again.” It is the same word used in verse 1:3, and this is its second and final use in Scripture. It signifies being born from above. It is the regeneration of the believer which occurs based on faith in Christ.

Peter next describes what this state of being begotten from above means by saying, “not of corruptible seed but incorruptible.” The word “seed” here is unique in Scripture, spora. It is a noun that signifies “a sowing.” In other words, “not of a corruptible sowing.” Peter is speaking of the process of generation in humanity. Our “sowing” is corruptible, and that results in a corruptible human. However, the sowing which is from above is incorruptible.

What this means is that it is imperishable, immortal, without the possibility of degradation. It is another of the countless appeals to the doctrine of eternal salvation. How can it be that God regenerates the believer through an incorruptible sowing if the salvation is not eternal? The thoughts are contradictory, and the theology is confused.

Peter then says that this comes about “through the word of God.” This is speaking not of Christ, the incarnate Word of God, but of the transmitted word of God. This will be seen in the next verse, but it is also referred to in verses 1:10-12. There Peter said, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.”

First, Peter equates the “salvation” noted there with “having been born again” here. Again, the two describe the same thing, and it cries out “eternal salvation.” Secondly, he speaks of their prophecies as “the word of God.” He then says that this word “lives and abides forever.”

Albert Barnes notes that the Greek provides an ambiguity which means that it could either be speaking of God who lives forever, or of the word which lives forever. The ambiguity may be purposeful. Peter may have wanted people to question his words and conclude that the word which issues forth from God is an expression of God. Thus, it is eternal, just as God is. Because it could have been expressed more clearly, this may be why he wrote it as he did.

Either way, Peter’s use of two different prepositions shows the source of the regeneration and the medium through which it is imparted. He says “of” seed and “through” the word. The seed is the source, the word is how that seed is transmitted. This is another biblical proof that the words of Scripture are necessary in order for conversion to take place. It speaks against visions and dreams as a means of conversion, despite the countless claims made throughout the ages that people have come to Jesus in such a manner.

Life application: In contrast to the traditions of men and false additions to true faith, we have the word of God – the Holy Scriptures which are given to us to guide our lives and give us a clear and pertinent understanding of the things of God. It is through this precious gift that we hear the message of faith which can save. Elsewhere, Paul states it like this –

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

The logical connection is made when we hear and receive the word properly relayed from the pages of the Bible. This is what stirs up our faith, and it is this faith which brings new life from above – that of being “born again.” Though a term only found here in 1 Peter, it is derived from the same root word that Jesus uses when speaking of being “born again” in John 3. Understanding this should make us realize the immense importance of reading and knowing the Bible.

If we are “born again…through the word of God,” and Jesus says you must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God, then it follows that misunderstanding the Bible can lead you to a false Jesus and a false gospel. But, when we understand the simplicity of the gospel, and accept Jesus as the incarnate Subject of the gospel, then we are truly born again – “not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible.”

Our acceptance of the gospel is a seed which shall never die, but which will continue to thrive in us, even to eternal life.

Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and grant you eternal life? If not, call on Him today. He is the precious gift of God for the salvation of all people who trust in Him. Let us thank God for Jesus today!

Almighty and most-wise Creator, praises and honor belong to You alone. In Your infinite wisdom, You sent us Jesus to lead us back to You and to bestow upon us eternal life. Our songs of praise and thanks will never end as we hail You for all eternity – Worthy is our God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday, 10 October 2019

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 1 Peter 1:22

Peter now relays a word of exhortation concerning the treatment of the brethren because of the state in which the believer in Christ exists. He begins with, “Since you have purified your souls.”

Here is a word, translated as “purifying,” which speaks of purification from defilement. It can be either ceremonial or moral purification. In the Old Testament, it was the type of purification Nazirites would take upon themselves, setting themselves apart to God. It is used in John 11:55 when speaking of being purified for the Passover.

Peter says that believers have purified their “souls in obeying the truth.” In other words, by faith in Christ, a person is so purified. This is a marvelous parallel to the thought of what Paul said in the book of 1 Corinthians –

“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8

Paul, writing to Gentiles, has said that Christ is “our Passover.” The purification spoken of by Peter, like that in John 11 (noted above), is accomplished in both Jew and Gentile in order that they may both be acceptable for the true Passover, and indeed for every spiritual application of which Christ has fulfilled through His work. This purification, Peter says, is “in obeying the truth through the Spirit.”

This follows logically with what Paul says in Ephesians 1. When a person believes, they are – at that time – sealed with the Spirit. The harmony between what Paul says and what Peter says is to be noted. They both speak concerning the same salvation and the same purification.

The NKJV then cites Peter as saying, “in sincere love of the brethren.” By using the word “in,” this can be misinterpreted as signifying that the action is tied to the sincere love of the brethren. This is not the intent. Rather, it should read “to,” or “into,” “for,” or so on. The NIV, which is somewhat of a paraphrase, reveals the intent –

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other…”

The sincere love is a result of the purification, not a part of it coming about. Because this occurs, Peter then says that believers are to “love one another fervently with a pure heart.” As we have been so purified, we are to then express that purification appropriately in our actions. What we do is to correspond to the state to which we have been brought.

The word translated as “fervently” is one found only here and in Acts 12:5. It literally means, “fully stretched.” It is as if a rope is pulled so that it is fully taut and there is no slack at all in it. The slackness would be equated to a less-than-expected treatment of others. Therefore, our love of the brothers is to be fully stretched out, without such slack. It is also to be “with a pure heart.”

The heart in the Bible speaks of the seat of reasoning. Thus, our minds are to be in a state which conveys only pure and fully expressed love for the brethren. There should be nothing that causes a deviation from a positive mental attitude which is fully expressed in sincere love.

Life application: Again, as for the umpteen millionth time in the epistles, we have a verse that proclaims eternal salvation. If our souls are purified, then we are cleansed and now acceptable to God who loved us enough to send Jesus. Peter’s words show that the purification is done, and then he expresses our need to work it out in a certain way. In other words, the purification is complete, even if our performance in that state is not.

Why is this so important to understand? It is because failing to comprehend this leads people into bondage, and they become easily directed by the whims of their spiritual leaders. It also leads to the financial gain of those leaders because their followers are bound into works-based religion. But, if our souls are purified through faith in Jesus Christ, then we are at liberty in and through Christ.

Ephesians says that when we believe we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This is a deposit or guarantee which will never be revoked. Once sealed, we can repeatedly pray for and receive His filling which allows us to obey the truth. This leads us, as Peter says, into sincere love of the brethren – a love which is fervent and with a pure heart.

Yes, we will have conflicts with fellow believers. Yes, they will often irk us with their peculiarities just as we will irk them (make sure you look in the mirror and evaluate the irk-factor in yourself instead of always pointing it out in others). But an irksome person can still be loved.

This is the bond we need to work on. Liking or not-liking to be with someone is much different than loving them unconditionally. If you are having trouble loving someone in your congregation because he is so annoying, irritating, weird, or whatever, then pray that the Spirit will give you the grace to bear with him, despite his peculiarities.

True change comes from the heart in each of us, not in merely changing the world and its people who are around us.

Heavenly Father, grant us the ability to love those that we find so vastly different than us. Help us to remember that they are who they are because of their own makeup and life experiences. As these have shaped them and define them, may we learn to accept them as long as they are otherwise living in accord with what You expect of Your people. To Your glory, O God. Amen.

Wednesday, 9 October 2019

…who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:21

Here, we have words which carry a theme similar to that of Paul in Romans –

“but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Romans 4:24

Both Peter who is writing to his Jewish brethren, and Paul who is writing to the Gentiles, carry a uniform message concerning salvation and what it means. They both speak forth the same gospel message. Understanding this – that there is only one gospel for Jew and for Gentile – Peter begins with, “who through Him believe in God.”

The word “Him” refers to Christ Jesus, who was referred to in the previous verses. It is through faith in Christ that we “believe in God.” There is a truth that almost every person in human history believes in “God.” There are supposed exceptions, such as those referred to in Psalm 14 –

“The fool has said in his heart,
‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1

But these people, today called “atheists,” are deniers of God, not because they actually don’t believe in Him, but because they actively refuse to acknowledge Him. A simple proof of this proceeds from their lips the moment true calamity strikes – “O God!” In the end, there is no way to get around the truth that there is a God.

And so, really, everyone believes in “God.” The marked difference between true Christians and all others is that Christians believe in God in a relationship through Jesus Christ. In other words, they hold to the universally accepted premise that there is a God, but they also accept that Jesus Christ is God, revealing Himself to the world through His incarnation. Thus, the God of Christianity cannot be equated to any other “god” that man believes in.

Peter continues to describe the true God, and His relationship to Christ, by saying, “who raised Him from the dead.” This is referring to the human aspect of Christ who lived out the law, fulfilled all of its precepts, and then gave His life in the final fulfilling act of the Old Covenant. In doing this, He brought it to its completion and initiated a New Covenant in His blood.

In this satisfaction of the law, a portion of which was a substitutionary atonement for the sins of those who believe, God was satisfied. He accepted the payment for those who believe, and He also raised Christ Jesus from the dead. This is because “the wages of sin is death.” As Christ died not for His own sins, but for the sins of others, God found no fault in Him, meaning nothing worthy of the death He died. His death was solely on behalf of others. In this, Peter cried out in Acts 2 –

“…whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” Acts 2:24

Christ could not stay dead. As there was nothing in Him deserving of death, God raised Him up. Further, He not only raised Him, but He also “gave Him glory.” The glory spoken of here is that of power, authority, majesty, and splendor. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 28, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” And again, Paul speaks of the glory of the risen Christ numerous times, such as –

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

The glory given to Christ is that of the glory of God Himself. He is the incarnate word of God, forever glorified. Peter then says to his audience that this is “so that your faith and hope are in God.” It is a note of exclusivity. Peter is not speaking of “hope in God” in the general sense. As noted, people of every religion, and even those who espouse no religion, possess a hope in God. Peter’s words are speaking of a hope in the true God who has revealed Himself through Christ Jesus. He is the expression of God that the true God accepts for righteousness when faith is placed in Him.

Logically, it cannot be that Jesus is anything other than God based upon Peter’s words. The reason for this is that Jesus’ human nature is derived from His human genealogy. He was born in the womb of a woman who had descended from a line of humans, and who were originally created by God. As humanity is a part of creation, and as man can see the evidence of creation in all its marvel – from the intricacy of the smallest subatomic particles to the farthest recesses of the galactic expanse – Peter cannot be speaking of anything which is created. As Jesus’ physical nature was a part of this creation, it is obvious that Peter is speaking of the divine aspect of Christ which is proven through His outworkings in His humanity.

It is in the incarnation itself, the uniting of God with man, that we find that properly directed “faith and hope are in God.” No other faith in God is acceptable for reconciliation and a right relationship with our Creator.

Life application: It is the power of God (repeated elsewhere in the New Testament) that raised Jesus from the dead. A common misunderstanding of cults is this –

The Father is God.
Jesus is not the Father.
Therefore, Jesus is not God.

This is a mistake in reasoning known as the Fallacy of Illicit Major. “Major” refers to the major (or first) premise, not a person in the military. The major premise may be true, but it is not all-inclusive. Just because the Father is God, it doesn’t in any way negate the Son or the Holy Spirit from being God.

The second premise is true and is all-inclusive – the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father. Based on the incorrect thought of the first premise though, the conclusion is false, and the argument is invalid. Take time to read up on fallacies because it will help you think more clearly and defend your position, which should be completely defensible.

This, however, doesn’t mean it will be accepted, so don’t get too frustrated. No matter what others believe, it is God who raised Jesus from the dead “and gave Him glory.” Again, this doesn’t mean Jesus lacked glory or isn’t part of the Godhead. Jesus, in His High Priestly prayer, speaks of the glory He shared with the Father before creation (see John 17:5). Jesus Christ is not a vain hope, nor is He a created being. He is the incarnate Word of God; the eternal Son of the Father. As it says, “your faith and your hope are in God.” When your faith is in Jesus Christ, your faith is in God. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ, you fail to honor the Father – “If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor (John 12:26).”

Heavenly Father, from You comes logic, order, reason, and wisdom. Give us the strong desire to look into these aspects of understanding that we may be able to defend our positions when faced with difficult challenges. By doing this, may You be glorified and may the lost be directed to You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, 8 October 2019

He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you… 1 Peter 1:20

Peter makes a statement now which confirms what he said earlier in verses 1:10-12. There he mentioned the prophets who spoke of the coming Christ – what He would do, who He would minister to, etc. Even though their writings were veiled to them, their words showed that what occurred in Christ was not merely chance or happenstance, but rather it was intentionally designed and spoken of in advance. And so, he says, “He was foreordained.”

The correct translation is “He was foreknown.” The idea of His being foreordained is also taught in Scripture. For example, prophecies about Him speak of His crucifixion. This means that it was certainly foreordained. It was something that was planned in advance to occur. That is not what Peter is speaking of here. Rather, he is referring to knowledge concerning the works of Christ, as noted above (what He would do, who He would minister to, etc.).

The difference is important to show that God not only planned for His advent and work in advance, but that the knowledge of this was also provided in advance. This is then to support our faith in the occurrence. It is good to have faith in something, but without a reasonable basis for that faith, there is nothing to actually support it. But in the next verse, this is what Peter will state concerning what the foreknowledge of Christ was for – believing God and having properly directed faith and hope in Him.

Peter then says that this foreknowledge was “before the foundation of the world.” Everything about what Christ would do was foreknown. The plan was determined before the first particle of mass was created or the first tick of the cosmic clock began. God would be in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, and the entire plan was foreknown, to the minutest detail. The fact that Lot would sleep with both of his daughters, and then the descendants of both of those unions would lead to Christ, was known.

The union of Boaz and Ruth, and all of the details of how that would come to pass, was known to God. And, and that union was a part of the unfolding genealogy which led to Christ as well. Everything that went into the human lineage of Jesus was carefully determined and was foreknown. And with that knowledge came the record of those particular stories and the utterances of the prophets. All of these records were given to solidify, in the hearts and minds of the people, that Christ Jesus is truly the center of God’s redemptive plans, and – therefore – our faith in Him is firm and sure.

Peter then says, “but was manifest in these last times for you.” Here a change in the tense of the verbs occurs. The word signifying “foreknown” is a perfect participle (having been foreknown). It is a complete thought that was known and remains known from before creation even to the present time. The idea here, though not identical, is similar to the words of Hebrews 13:8 which says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The two ideas harmonize in the fact that what was known about Jesus is revealed in Jesus. He has been foreknown, and in Him there is no change.

The second verb, which is translated as “was manifest,” is in the aorist tense. What occurred happened at a specific moment in time. This is what the prophets (mentioned above) searched diligently to know. They understood that the divine hand of inspiration which was upon them spoke of something specific, and that it certainly would come to pass. But as Peter said then, “To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering.” This is what he says again here. Their words which spoke of Christ were for our benefit, and then Christ was made manifest – as they prophesied – for us.

The idea of “these last times” speaks of the current dispensation. The time of the law had passed, and the age of grace began. It is an indeterminate amount of time which will end according to God’s pre-ordained plan for the ages. Until then, believers in Christ are living in what is referred to here as “these last times.” As Peter is speaking to the Jewish believers specifically, the idea of the last times includes the understanding of their Messiah at both the beginning and the ending of the current time, just before the millennial kingdom. Because of this, “these last times” certainly include the final seven years that comprise the tribulation period which comes just prior to the millennium. Peter will complete this thought in the next verse.

Life application: Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” There was a point when time began, before which it didn’t exist. Einstein realized this when he postulated the Theory of Relativity. This means that the incarnation and work of Jesus Christ was determined before time itself. This isn’t a misreading of one verse either. Revelation 13:8 repeats this amazing concept –

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

This verse is speaking of unbelievers who have rejected the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Instead, they turn to the antichrist in worship and adoration. The point not to miss from Peter’s words though is that Jesus Christ, God incarnate, was destined for the horrors of the cross before time, space, or matter existed. The mind of God, which is infinite in knowledge, saw our sin and rebellion, and purposed that instead of us being cast into hell, He would accept the punishment in the body of Jesus.

The next time you determine to click on a porn site for a peek, steal a pack of gum for a kick, lie to your boss about why you came to work late – or a zillion other sins of the flesh – remember that Jesus’ suffering came about because of our rebellion and it came at a point when the matter which comprises our physical bodies had not yet been created. We are accountable to the One who spoke us into existence. Remember this and be holy, even as He is holy.

Amazing love – that You, O God, could look through the immense continuum of time to the moment we would live, and seeing all of our sins, You would still allow us to be born and live. We have rebelled, we have turned from You, we have done wickedly, and yet You still loved us enough to send Jesus to die for the sins we have committed. And You sent Him even before we had done these things. What amazing love! What amazing grace! Thank You for our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Monday, 7 October 2019

…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:19

Peter now continues on with his words which began in verse 1:17. Taken together, they read –

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

As noted in verse 17, Peter said that the Father judges without partiality, and so believers are to conduct themselves in this walk of life “in fear.” That is the main idea of the words he continues to express. The fact that He judges without partiality may actually make some boastful. “See, I’m not as bad as these other people. If God judges impartially, I must be on the plus side of things.” Others may not see their particular failings and sins as offensive, and so they continue on in them.

However, when we stand back and look at the standard, we can then (hopefully) truly learn to live out our lives “in fear.” This is because we were “not redeemed with corruptible things.” Rather, we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ.”

In these words, the word “Christ” comes in the emphatic position at the end of the sentence. It might more appropriately be translated as, “…by the precious blood, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot, Christ.” Or it might have a further emphasis by saying, “…by the precious blood, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ.”

A payment was made for our sins. And it wasn’t just a payment of something temporary and quickly worn away like gold or silver. Instead, it was paid with Christ’s precious blood – meaning His death. James has already written that “whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:9). Because of this, we cannot compare the number or magnitude of our sins to those of others. Whatever sin we have committed, no matter how small, it would have resulted in the need for Christ’s death. An infinite price was paid for our finite, seemingly insignificant (to us), sins. God Himself united with humanity in order to pay this terrible price.

As this is the standard, and as the Father is said to judge “without partiality,” it can now be understood why we are to walk our lives “in fear.” What we may so smugly brush off as a casual thing, is something that not only will be judged, but it must be judged. And it will be judged for what it is, something which necessitated the high cost of our redemption – Christ’s blood. And to further solidify this in the minds of his readers, Peter adds in, “as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The symbolism takes us back to the sacrifices of the Old Testament, including both the Passover and those other sacrifices also required under the Mosaic Law. The lambs used were in their first year, signifying innocence. They were without spot and without blemish signifying purity and perfection. The Hebrew word is tamim. It signifies complete, sound, blameless, perfect, and so on.

Peter’s point is that Christ’s perfection was used to redeem us in our imperfect state. Nothing else would suffice, and our flippant attitude concerning sin after our redemption is an affront to God. The redemption is accomplished, the atonement has been effected, and our salvation is secure, but our rewards and losses are to be based on the holy standard – the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world. What we may think of as a quick and painless trial before God will be one which will lay bare every part of who we are and what we have done in and for the sake of Christ. With such a high standard set before us, let us remember to walk “in fear” all of our days – to the glory of God.

As a side note to this redemption: What hyperdispensationalism teaches is that there is one thing going on for Jews and one thing going on for Gentiles. They will claim that a gospel which Peter explains here in his epistle is directed to the Jews and what Paul says is a different gospel directed to the Gentiles. That is heresy, and – in the case of this Lamb of redemption – proven false by Paul’s own words –

“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:6

The Lamb for the redemption of the Jews is the same Lamb of redemption for the Gentiles. Stay away from false teachers who espouse the damning heresy of hyperdispensationalism. There is one gospel message to the Jew and to the Gentile. There is one redemption, one atonement, and one fulfillment of the law in order to bring us into one New Covenant. The Gentiles are now partakers in the Commonwealth of Israel.

Life application: Peter contrasts the useless things of the world (including silver and gold) with that which is of infinite value, “the precious blood of Christ.” The most purifying substance in the universe is this blood. It represents

The infinite love of God.

The perfect grace of God.

The pure mercy of God.

The supreme righteousness of God.

The satisfied justice of God.

The inestimable holiness of God.

The kept promises of God.

Jesus Christ, represented here by an innocent lamb that is completely free from spot or blemish, was sacrificed on our behalf. Our moral corruption; our heaped-up sins; our wayward thoughts, words, actions, and inactions – all of these – were laid upon Him at the altar of sacrifice which is the cross of Calvary. And all of God’s divine and eternal attributes were reconciled in Him to us by His death. If you want to know the cost of your sins, look to the cross.

The blood of Jesus Christ, which represents His death for your sin, is that cost. But there is good news in His crucifixion. By calling on Him: 1) You can now be reconciled to God; 2) All sins – past, present, and future are forgiven; and 3) You have a certain hope of eternal life because of His resurrection. Death could not hold Him, and He promises the same to you! He rose again by the power of the Eternal God. Jesus has prevailed; Jesus is Lord!

Lord, may we never boast in gold or silver. May we never look with prideful satisfaction upon a good-paying job or a large home. May we never trust in anything so temporary or trivial. Instead, may we trust in the glory of the cross and in the perfect blood which restores us to You. Glory to God in the highest! Jesus is Lord! Amen.